Essential Ingredients Podcast

 “Everybody gets opportunities. It’s a matter of recognizing them.” -Lars Langhout 

 

Palm oil has been causing havoc in the food industry for years. It has been a major cause of deforestation, with the production causing large areas of forest to be cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. This has been a major contributor to climate change as well as animal cruelty and exploitations. 

 

As a result, many companies have pledged to remove palm oil from their products. But palm oil is also a versatile and cost-effective ingredient that is hard to replicate. With no viable alternatives, the food industry has been at a standstill, unable to provide its consumers with the products they desire. 

 

However, recent scientific discoveries in the field of food technology have paved the way for the first truly palm oil-free food products. The most exciting thing about plant-based food is not the taste or texture, but the fact that it has the ability to revolutionize the food industry by replacing the need for palm oil in food production. With these products finally on the market, the food industry has a new direction and purpose. 

 

Founded in 2020 by Lars Langhout, NoPalm Ingredients seeks to create a better alternative to palm oil. Its mission revolves around three critical goals— local, circular, and sustainable. Thanks to their non-GMO and vegan-friendly microbial oil, the need for palm oil is replaced, not only in the food industry but also in its use in cosmetics and detergents. At the Fi Global Startup Challenge held last year, NoPalm Ingredients was named the Most Innovative F&B Ingredient or Processing Technology. 

 

In this episode, Lars explores the scope of the problems caused by palm oil production and the future with no palm alternatives. He talks about what microbial oil is made from, how it is processed, as well as how it can be applied in different industries. Justine and Lars also talk about the steps needed to make an impact, recognizing opportunities that come, determining the right time to make a move, ideas on raising funds, and the new trend about alternative fats. 

Meet Lars:

After a career in strategy consulting, Lars took the plunge to have a positive impact on the climate. Inspired by the likes of Irving Fain (Bowery Farming) and fellow CBS alumni Ethan Brown (Beyond Meat), Lars founded NoPalm Ingredients to replace the need for palm oil altogether. As CEO, Lars is responsible for all commercial aspects of NoPalm Ingredients

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:16 The Issue with Palm Oil 

07:08 Prerequisites to Making an Impact

11:00 When to Make a Move

13:46 The Future with NoPalm Oil

16:01 Raising Funds 

20:15  New Trend— Alternative Fats

22:00 The Microbial Oil Advantage 

Series: Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival 

 

Episode Description:

“I’m not just vegan for the animals. I’m also vegan for humans. Being compassionate for humans is very important— understanding the conditions that people are living in and the oppression that is going on.” -Shawn Bannon

On a farm, animals are treated like machines. They're kept in cages with no room to move or express themselves, and they live their entire lives on the same land with no chance of escape. They are fed a diet that is unnatural and often unhealthy, and they are exploited to produce resources for humans.

But what about the people who live nearby? How do they fit into this equation? The truth is that it's not different at all. When animals are used as a farming tool, they lose their lives—directly through slaughter and indirectly through pollution caused by pesticides and other toxic chemicals used on crops to protect them from disease-carrying insects or weeds. In many cases, these chemicals also seep into groundwater supplies where many human communities live causing health issues. Furthermore, communities also have to face economic challenges and even oppression from these large corporations. 

Directed and Produced by award-winning filmmaker Shawn Bannon, The Smell of Money sheds light on this horrific truth. This documentary features the story of Elsie Herring and the rest of her community and their decade-long battle to reclaim their rights to clean water and a healthy environment. Rancho Compasión’s 3rd Annual Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival to be held on the 6th and 7th of August, 2022 features this heart-wrenching and motivational documentary. 

Listen in as Shawn shares more about The Smell of Money and his motivation behind the environmentally-themed film. Justine and Shawn discuss how going vegan benefits not only the animals and the environment but also humans and how we, as a community, can be a part of changing our food system. 

 

Meet Shawn: 

Shawn Bannon is an award-winning filmmaker whose films have been screened at the Sundance Film Festival, AFI FEST, and featured on The Atlantic, Forbes, and BBC America. His short films, Hurricane Heroes, Bloody Barbara, and A Ghost Story – 10 Pages, have all been selected for Vimeo Staff Picks. His recent film The Green Knight Documentary was made for A24 and premiered on iTunes. The Smell of Money is his first feature-length documentary. 

 

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The Smell of Money 

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Episode Highlights:

01:00 15 Years of Fighting for the Environment 

04:13 Vegan for Animals, Vegan for Humans

08:36 People Impacted by Big Industries

10:27 MEFF 2022—What to Expect 

Series: Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival 

 

Episode Description:

“There is still a choice… We need to strive to be better, instead of finding excuses.” -Skyler Thomas

 

Point Reyes is one of the most celebrated and visited locations in all of California. Nestled on the tip of the Marin Headlands, the small town is a near-perfect representation of the natural beauty of coastal California, with old-world charm and 21st century amenities. But the best part about Point Reyes is the opportunity to escape the bustle of the city and truly immerse yourself in nature.

 

The headlands that define Point Reyes’ landscape are dotted with historic lighthouses, picnic areas, frolicking animal species, and the path to the ocean is lined with hiking trails that take visitors up to spectacular views of the ocean and the San Francisco skyline.

 

As historic as it is, the future of Point Reyes is slowly jeopardized as its wildlife and natural resources are exploited and the question of how to use the land is still debated. The community is working to preserve the land, but the threat of development looms with its controversial land management plan.

 

Filmed and produced by award-winning, independent filmmaker Skyler Thomas, The Shame of Point Reyes- Elk Water is a follow up documentary that explores the history, current state, and future of Point Reyes. This film is one of the many features of the upcoming 3rd Annual Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival, produced by Rancho Compasión to be held on the 6th and 7th of August, 2022.  

 

In this episode, Skyler helps us see the truth about wildlife exploitation, not just in Point Reyes, but around the world. Justine and Skyler also discuss how we, as ordinary citizens, are used to subsidize private companies that harm the environment, and what choice is laid before us that can affect the future of animals and our environment. 

Meet Skyler: 

Skyler Thomas is an independent filmmaker focusing on issues of coexistence and an overall goal of slowing down the growing disconnection of humans from the natural world.  Starting with perhaps the most polarized animal on the planet Skyler spent 20 years diving with and filming various species of sharks before broadening the film themes to more animals.  During post-production of the sequel to Great White Lies an unexpected discovery of threats facing a national park near his home inspired the production of The Shame of Point Reyes.”

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:46 The Shame of Point Reyes 

04:39 Opening the Public’s Eyes

07:58 The Truth Exposed Through the Lens

09:55 There is Still a Choice

12:13 Connect with Interested and Interesting People

Series: Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival 

 

Episode Description:

"The animals need you… They want you-we need help! -Miyoko Schinner 

Going plant-based is something that can make a massive impact on the world, and it's also something that we can do today. We don't have to wait for some significant change to happen—it's happening right now! 

The Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival is one of the largest gatherings of people exploring the truth behind our food and animal agriculture systems. This fundraiser brings together changemakers, celebrities—and every one of us! 

This event is produced by Rancho Compasión, Marin County’s only non-profit urban animal sanctuary, which was founded by Miyoko Schinner. Rancho Compasión’s Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival provides solid evidence of how to work together to create an informed world filled with compassion for animals and work together as a community to create a better world through our food choices. Learn the deepest secrets of the animal industry through thought-provoking documentaries, connect with like-minded changemakers, and be a part of humane programs geared to providing quality care to rescue animals. And all this is just scratching the surface! 

 

In this episode, Justine and Miyoko talk about what to expect during the 3rd Annual Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival, what a sanctuary really means for both animals and humans, how animals connect with us, and how we may be indirectly contributing to the inhumane treatment of animals in factory farms. Miyoko also talks about her two passions— Rancho Compasión and Miyoko’s Creamery, the home of plant-based dairy alternatives she founded.  

Meet Miyoko: 

Miyoko Schinner is the fearless CEO/Founder of Miyoko’s, a food brand combining culinary traditions with food technology to revolutionize dairy by making cheese and butter without cows. Through an innovative proprietary process that merges food science with old-world creamery methods, Schinner has successfully scaled the production of fermented cheese and cultured butter made from plants. Under Schinner’s visionary leadership, Miyoko’s has replaced animal-dairy products on the shelves of more than 15,000 retailers nationwide and in Canada including Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Safeway. The pioneer of the plant-based cheese revolution, Schinner is a passionate culinarian, former restaurateur, best-selling cookbook author, co-host of the national public television cooking show Vegan Mashup, and a founding board member of the Plant Based Foods Association. Schinner also co-founded Rancho Compasión, a farmed animal sanctuary in California that provides a home to over 70 farm animals. She lives with her husband and has 3 grown children, 2 dogs, and 4 cats.

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:22 What is a Sanctuary?

04:59 Human and Animal Connections

07:23 The Mindful Eating Film and Food Festival

13:46 Miyoko's Creamery

17:36 Be Involved with Rancho Compasión

Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Series Part VII

in partnership with Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit, NYC June 21 - 22, 2022 

 

 “The ingredients and quality matter a lot. We've created a product that from an ingredient perspective and nutritional perspective, has some real advantages.”  -Aylon Steinhart

 

Episode Description:

The plant-based alternative space is exploding! With more and more consumers demanding healthier, sustainable options, the need for alternatives to meat and dairy has grown exponentially. This trend has led to an increase in investment in both research and development of plant-based options, as well as companies focused on developing these products. 

 

Technology can enable plant-based alternatives to meet consumer expectations in terms of taste and texture, while also making them more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective than traditional animal products. Yet, in order for these foods to continue being considered healthy options for consumers, they need to be made with whole ingredients and without unnecessary additives like preservatives and artificial flavors. The good news is that there are many companies who are already doing just that.

 

Co-founded by Aylon Steinhart, Eclipse Foods, aims to create a more sustainable, ethical, and healthy food system by developing plant-based alternatives to dairy products. Moving away from using produce from factory farms presented challenges, but Eclipse Foods knew that this action was a big step toward making an impact on the environment and human health. 

 

In this episode, Justine and Aylon discuss the crisis we’ll be facing if people continue to patronize and practice industrial agriculture and the number one thing we can do to reduce our impact on climate change. They also talk about how technology has helped Eclipse Foods to develop their products and scale quickly, the factors that drive consumer purchasing decisions, and how the choice of ingredients affects the nutritional value and quality of the products being produced. 

 

Meet Aylon Steinhart: 

Aylon Steinhart, Founder & CEO of Eclipse Foods, is an expert in the alternative protein industry and has spoken regularly on food innovation at conferences and schools such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, Berkeley, and Stanford. In his work at the Good Food Institute, Aylon incubated dozens of startups and advised investors and strategic partners on the alternative protein space. Aylon has co-founded two startups and worked with companies such as Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and Kellogg’s.

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:22 A Plant-Based Dairy Platform 

06:07 A Worldwide Problem with Lactose Intolerance

10:54 What Drives Purchasing Decisions

16:18 Creating a Plant-Based Dairy

21:45 The Core of a Company 

23:38 Ingredients and Quality Matter

“You’re a water being— All your tissues, all your organs, all your skin is a form of water that we weren't watching for. And therefore, hydration is one of the most extreme essential ingredients that we can possibly think of.” -Gina Bria

 

E P I S O D E  1 0 0 ! ! ! 

 

We have reached another major milestone in our journey! When we started this podcast, we wanted to provide a platform to help people see that they have a choice and that they don't have to settle for anything less than what their health and well-being deserve. 

 

With your help, our dear listeners, this vision has become a reality. We are so grateful for your loving support and encouragement. We look forward to continuing this journey with you with more amazing episodes and guests coming soon. Again, we thank you so, so much for being a part of the Essential Ingredients mission!

 

And what a better way to kick off this special episode that to talk about one of the most essential ingredient for life — water. No other substance on Earth can support life as we know it like water can. Not only does water make up the majority of our bodies, but it’s also necessary for just about every function our bodies perform.

 

Think about it – we need water to digest food, transport nutrients and oxygen to our cells, lubricate our joints, regulate our body temperature… the list goes on and on. But water isn’t just essential for our bodies – it’s also vital for the planet. Every living thing needs water to survive, and our planet is no different. Water is a key part of the Earth’s natural systems and cycles. Without water, life, including ours, would be impossible.

 

Since our body is made up of mostly water, it’s therefore important to keep it hydrated. But this doesn’t mean that drinking water is the best way to do it. In fact, there are other ways that are more effective.

This special episode will help us to see water in a way that most of us usually don’t think of. Our very first guest, Gina Bria, the founder of Hydration Foundation, joins us again to share how we can take in water in a more hydrating way! 

Tune in as Justine and Gina share how getting hydrated from plain water differs than getting hydrated from plants. They discuss factors that affect our level of hydration: nutrition, sun exposure, and mobility (talk about how doing a little wiggly dance can dramatically change your day)!  Gina also leaves us with a way to activate the electric properties of water to make it more hydrating.  

Meet Gina: 

Named Real World Scholar, Gina researches, consults, and speaks on hydration strategies for health and agriculture. She founded Hydration Foundation.org to promote optimal hydration for people, plants, and soils. The Hydration Foundation generates direct public activism in food quality and security by collecting funds to donate water-saving/soil decontaminating irrigation funnels directly to farmers. Her work advances the findings of Dr. Gerald Pollack, renowned for his identification of the fourth phase of water. Her initiatives through the Hydration Foundation have accelerated research and health and soil regeneration practices. The Hydration Foundation has become known for pilot projects which quickly turn into standard best practices. 

 

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Episode Highlights:

04:39 Water— the Ultimate Essential Ingredient

10:52 How to Activate Our Physiological Water System

14:29 What Hydrates More Than Water

21:13 How a Little Wiggle Dance Can Change Your Day

24:10 What is Structured Water?

Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Series Part VI

in partnership with Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit, NYC June 21 - 22, 2022 

Episode Description:

We all want to transition to something more sustainable. But if you take sustainability without the hedonic component, you take pleasure away from sustainability.” -Mario Ubiali

It's no secret that humans are emotional eaters. We can't help it—we're built this way! It is the way we deal with stress, the way we bond with our friends, and the way we console ourselves after a bad day.

Therefore, in order for sustainability to work in the food space, it has to be more than just a good idea—it has to be exciting, fun, and worth the effort. Sustainable eating is not about telling people what to do. It's about addressing the emotional, psychological, and cultural needs behind eating so as not to take the pleasure away from sustainability.

Mario Ubiali founded Thimus with the vision of humanizing the food experience. Their team consists of biomedical engineers and cognitive neuroscientists who have developed a high-level portable electroencephalogram/EEG device with dry sensors embedded in the hardware to provide neurophysiological data used in analyzing and interpreting human behavior, specifically towards food.

Listen as Justine and Mario discuss how technology helps us understand our food choices, why pleasure and sustainability must go together, how to encourage inclusivity and diversity in the food system, how food transforms humans, and what each of us can do to accelerate the rise of sustainability in the food space. 

Meet Mario: 

Mario Ubiali is the Founder and CEO of Thimus. He has 20 years of experience in the creation and scale-up of international service companies with highly innovative content. He has a strong focus on the growth of multidisciplinary teams, on the planning and execution of strategies aimed at implementing IP portfolios and positioning the company as a powerful generator of added value.

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:29 Thimus— Understanding the Human Food Experience 

05:23 Accelerating the Neuroscience of the Food Experience

08:42 Pleasure and Sustainability Go Together

14:02 Inclusivity and Diversity of the Food System

18:16 How the Language is Changing

21:14 Food is a Place for Human Transformation

24:04 If You Really Want to Make a Change

Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Series Part V

in partnership with Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit, NYC June 21 - 22, 2022 

 

Episode Description:

“To produce alternative protein that tastes good is a very challenging problem. And this is not something that can just be brute-forced. We had to develop a unique technological solution to produce alternative protein very cost-effectively and with flavor and color suitable for the food industry.” -Yonatan Golan

Food security is one of the largest global crises we face today. To feed the population and continue moving towards a better-for-you food system, we need sustainable sources. 

Brevel, an Israeli startup cofounded by the Golan brothers Yonatan (CEO), Ido (CTO), and Matan (GM). This family trio joined their unique set of skills to give a new meaning to sustainability in the alternative protein space. Brevel uses microalgae as the main ingredient in their alternative meat products. It’s being called the “ghost protein”, because when introduced, microalgae does not alter the final product’s taste, texture and color. When compared to other leading alternatives such as soy or pea protein, microalgae consume less water, require very little to no land use, and emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In fact, microalgae produce the majority of the Earth’s oxygen. 

Brevel isn’t the first company to grow and harvest microalgae; however, they are doing it differently and, according to Yonatan, ‘more affordably and effectively.’  Brevel decided to combine heterotrophy and phototrophy, which results in higher and more consistent yields- and their process is fully automated.

In this episode, Justine talks with Yonatan about the future of sustainable food regarding microalgae. Yonatan shares the inspiration behind this dream project, how Brevel achieved the right technology to make it happen, while incorporating moral and ethical values in their processes. 

Meet Yonatan: 

Yonatan is passionate about making the world a better place through sustainable nutrition, social change and cutting-edge science. He transitioned to a vegan diet in 2012 and believes in a bright future on this planet. Yonatan has led Brevel's growth from a small startup to an innovative, evolving global player in the microalgae industry, raising more than $9M and winning various awards and international recognition.

 

Prior to founding Brevel, Yonatan co-founded and managed a food co-op (2012-16) with more than 400 member-workers, leading it through its profitability and growth stages. He holds an MSc in biophysics with a publication in Nature.

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:03 Brevel on the Mission

04:07 Addressing the 3 Biggest Issues in the Alternative Protein Space

07:39 The Future of Food with Microalgae

11:23 What People Are Saying

14:10 Meeting Sustainability Partners

Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Series Part IV

in partnership with Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit, NYC June 21 - 22, 2022 

 

Episode Description:

“What we eat is as important as anything else we're doing.” -Dr. Matthew Spence

The food industry is not just about what we eat. It's also about how we produce it— And that's a big deal!

The world needs a more sustainable approach to feed its growing population, and technology can help us get there. Technology is helping us find new solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems, including those related to food security. The alternative protein space is one example of how innovation can help us meet this challenge. This is where innovation meets sustainability meets deliciousness meets healthiness meets affordability—and it's changing how we think about food as much as anything else we're doing right now.

In this episode, Justine talks with Dr. Matthew Spence, Managing Director of Guggenheim Securities, a global investment and advisory firm that focuses on investment management, investment banking, and insurance services. With the leadership of Dr. Spence, their Food Technology team aims to support innovation that promotes sustainability. 

In this episode, Justine and Dr. Spence engage in a broad discussion about the food industry’s role in climate change and how it affects global security, how entrepreneurs can help solve the world’s biggest issues, what investors are looking for in a company, why the alternative protein space is a worthy investment, and how technology shapes major industries. 

 

Meet Matthew: 

Dr. Matthew Spence is a Managing Director at Guggenheim Securities, a global investment and advisory firm known for its innovative solutions. The firm’s primary focus is investment management, investment banking, and insurance services. He leads the company’s Venture Capital Coverage team as well as the Food Technology team.

 

Dr. Spence is the co-founder of the Truman National Security Project, an organization that aims to provide timely, innovative, and principled solutions to complex national security challenges. He also worked at the White House on the National Security Council as the President’s Special Assistant and has received the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service. He holds doctorate degrees in law from Yale Law School and International Relations from the University of Oxford. 

 

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Episode Highlights:

00:52 Climate Change, Global Security, and Food

05:15 How Entrepreneurs Help Solve the World’s Biggest Problems

11:14 Great Investment Opportunities

14:17 What Investors Are Looking For

18:50 Why the Alternative Protein Space is Gaining Traction 

Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Series Part III

in partnership with Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins Summit, NYC June 21 - 22, 2022 

Episode Description:

“We are looking for new technologies to bridge the gaps of things that we don't produce and we don't have.” -Hadar Sutovsky

The food system is a complex, interconnected web of systems—from agriculture to processing and distribution to retail. While we know that the primary goal of the food system is to feed the population, we also know that there are many other goals that this system serves, such as providing jobs, protecting the environment, and improving human health.

In recent years, there has been much talk about how to bridge the gaps between these different parts of the system. One way to do this is through technology. New technologies allow us to produce more food without using resources at unsustainable levels. 

With these new technologies comes an opportunity for investors: It's important to note that investing in companies that make these technologies helps speed up the change process towards more sustainability. Past investments are paying off—and will continue to pay off as long as we continue to make smart decisions about what kind of products we choose, how much of them we buy, and how they're made.

This week, Justine interviews Hadar Sutovsky, VP of External Innovation at ICL Group, the leading global manufacturer of specialty minerals and fertilizers. They create sustainable solutions for the agricultural sector, food system, and industrial products. With the leadership of Hadar, they were able to expand their reach through the ICL Planet Startup Hub, the company’s FoodTech and AgTech accelerator. With this project, they aim to support early-stage startups who are passionate about creating impact. 

In this episode, Justine and Hadar discuss the goals of ICL, how to strengthen the internal and external innovation of a company, and how strategic investing ensures that all investments made produce outcomes. If you are a founder looking to grow your impact, stay tuned until the end as Hadar shares how the Planet Startup Hub project can help you reach your goal. 

Meet Hadar: 

Hadar Sutovsky is the VP of External Innovation at ICL Group, one of the top tier fertilizers corporations in the world, and GM of ICL Planet. She is dedicated to establishing the ICL accelerator and leading investments in AgriFoodTech startups. Prior to her role at ICL, Hadar also served as a Managing Partner in AquagroFund, an impact investment management firm that supports technology companies addressing global issues related to agriculture, food, and water. Outside her work as a leader and mentor, Hadar volunteers as a certified Yoga teacher. She is happily married and is currently living in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:10 ICL- The Leading Company in Fertilizers in the World

04:43 Moving Forward From Internal Innovation to External Innovation

09:24 The ICL Planet Startup Hub

13:04 Thoughts About Strategic Investing